Patch cords for reduced-pair Ethernet applications having strain relief units that resist rotational loads and related strain relief units and connectors

ABSTRACT

Reduced-pair Ethernet patch cords include a twisted pair cable that has a pair of insulated conductors that are contained within a cable jacket. A connector is mounted on a first end of the cable. The connector includes a connector housing and a strain relief unit that is mounted on the cable at the interface between the cable and the connector housing. The strain relief unit includes a plurality of internal protrusions that contact the cable jacket.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 15/163,371,filed May 24, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,831,598, which is a is acontinuation of application Ser. No. 14/340,635, filed Jul. 25, 2014,now U.S. Pat. No. 9,356,439, which application claims the benefit ofU.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/882,715, filed Sep. 26,2013, which applications are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to communications systems and,more particularly, to patch cords for reduced-pair Ethernetapplications.

BACKGROUND

The use of electronic devices that transmit and/or receive large amountsof data over a communications network such as cameras, televisions andcomputers continues to proliferate. Data may be transferred to and fromthese devices by hardwired or wireless connections, or a combinationthereof. Devices that are connected to a communications network via ahardwired connection often use so-called Ethernet cables and connectorsas these cables and connectors can support high data rate communicationswith a high level of reliability. Various industry standards such as,for example, the ANSI/TIA-568-C.2 standard, approved Aug. 11, 2009 bythe Telecommunications Industry Association (referred to herein as “theCategory 6a standard”), set forth interface and performancespecifications for Ethernet cables, connectors and channels. Ethernetconnectors and cables are routinely used in office buildings, homes,schools, data centers and the like to interconnect computers, faxmachines, printers and other electronic devices in hardwired, high-speedcommunications networks.

As is well known in the art, Ethernet cables and connectors typicallyinclude four pairs of conductors that may be used to transmit fourdifferential signals. Differential signaling techniques, where eachsignal is transmitted over a pair of conductors, are used becausedifferential signals may be impacted less by external noise sources andinternal noises sources such as crosstalk as compared to signals thatare transmitted over a single-conductor. In Ethernet cables, theinsulated conductors of each differential pair are tightly twisted abouteach other to form four twisted pairs of conductors, and these fourtwisted pairs may be further twisted about each other in a so-called“core twist.” A separator may be provided that is used to separate (andhence reduce coupling between) at least one of the twisted pairs from atleast one other of the twisted pairs. The four twisted pairs and anyseparator may be enclosed in a protective jacket.

While hardwired Ethernet cables and connectors can support high datarates with excellent reliability in home, office and data centerapplications, Ethernet cables and connectors may be less well-suited forautomotive, industrial and other applications that may involve harsherenvironments. Accordingly, Ethernet cables and connectors have typicallynot been used in these environments.

One relatively harsh environment where hardwired communications networksmay be used is in automobiles and other types of vehicles, includingplanes, boats, etc. Communications connectors and cables that are usedin automobiles are routinely subjected to high levels of vibration, widetemperature swings, and mechanical shocks, stresses and strains.Typically, single-ended communications channels that use non-Ethernetconnectors and cabling are used in such environments, and the cables andconnectors may be rather large and heavy. For example, pin connectorsand socket connectors are sometimes used in automotive applications todetachably connect two communications cables and/or to detachablyconnect a communications cable to a printed circuit board or electronicdevice, as pin and socket connections can typically maintain goodmechanical and electrical connections even when used for long periods oftime in harsh environments.

SUMMARY

Pursuant to embodiments of the present invention, reduced-pair Ethernetpatch cords are provided that include a twisted pair cable that has apair of insulated conductors that are contained within a cable jacket. Aconnector is mounted on a first end of the cable. The connector includesa connector housing and a strain relief unit that is mounted on thecable at the interface between the cable and the connector housing. Thestrain relief unit has a plurality of internal protrusions that contactthe cable jacket.

In some embodiments, the internal protrusions may be generallylongitudinally aligned with a longitudinal axis of the connector. Thestrain relief unit may include a cable-gripping member that engages thecable and a compression member that is configured to apply a radiallycompressive force on the cable-gripping member. The compression membermay be fixed relative to the connector housing. The protrusions may be,for example, teeth that are provided on an interior surface of thecable-gripping member. The protrusions may create respective depressionsin the cable jacket. A stop may be provided in the connector housingthat fixes the longitudinal position of the cable-gripping member withinthe connector housing. The twisted pair cable may include only a singlepair of insulated conductors. The internal protrusions may contact thecable jacket to resist against rotational forces applied to the cable.

Pursuant to further embodiments of the present invention, patch cordsare provided that include a cable that has a cable jacket that has atleast one twisted pair of insulated conductors disposed therein, aconnector that has a housing mounted on a first end of the cable. Theconnector includes a strain relief unit positioned at least partlywithin the housing. The strain relief unit includes a cable-grippingmember that is mounted on the cable, the cable-gripping member includingat least one uneven surface that is positioned to contact the cablejacket, and a compression member that is configured to apply acompressive force against the cable-gripping member when the compressionmember and cable-gripping member are installed within the connector.

In some embodiments, the compression member may be configured to apply aradial force to the cable-gripping member. The uneven surface may beconfigured to create a plurality of depressions in the cable jacket. Thecompression member may further include a cap that is mounted on a rearend of the housing. The cable-gripping member may include a plurality ofcantilevered arms, and uneven surfaces may be provided on each of thecantilevered arms. In some embodiments, the interior surface of each ofthe cantilevered arms comprises an arcuate surface, and the unevensurface on each of the plurality of cantilevered arms comprises aplurality of teeth projecting from the interior surface thereof. Thecompression member may include a plurality of wedge shaped arms that areconfigured to apply a radially compressive force on respective ones ofthe cantilevered arms when the compression member and the cable-grippingmember are installed within the housing. The patch cord may include atleast one and no more than three twisted pairs of conductors.

Pursuant to still further embodiments of the present invention, methodsof connectorizing a cable are provided in which first and secondconductors of a twisted pair of conductors of a communications cable areterminated into respective first and second contacts. End portions ofthe terminated first and second conductors and the first and secondcontacts are inserted into a connector housing. A strain relief unit isslid along the communications cable and into a rear opening of theconnector housing. A cable-gripping member of the strain relief unit maythen be compressed onto the communications cable. The cable-grippingmember has at least one protrusion that is positioned to engage a jacketof the communications cable when the strain relief unit is installed inthe connector housing so as to resist angular rotation of the cable.

In some embodiments, the cable-gripping member may be at a fixedlongitudinal position within the connector when it compresses onto thecommunications cable. The cable-gripping member may be compressed ontothe communications cable by sliding a compression member of the strainrelief unit onto the cable-gripping member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a partially cut-away perspective view of a first reduced-pairEthernet cable that includes a single twisted pair of insulatedconductors and of a second reduced-pair Ethernet cable that includes twotwisted pairs of insulated conductors.

FIG. 2 is a exploded perspective view of an end portion of a patch cordaccording to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the cable of the patch cord of FIG. 2 witha strain relief unit of the patch cord mounted thereon.

FIG. 4 is a partially cut-away side view of the connector of the patchcord of FIG. 2 with the contact carrier of the connector omitted.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the connector housing and strainrelief unit of the patch cord of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the connector of the patch cord ofFIG. 2 that illustrates the contact carrier and one of the contacts ofthe connector.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of a cable-gripping member of thestrain relief unit of the connector on the patch cord of FIG. 2.

FIG. 8A is a perspective view of the socket contacts of the connector ofthe patch cord of FIG. 2.

FIG. 8B is a perspective view of the socket contacts of FIG. 8A thatillustrates how they mate with the pin contacts of a mating inlineconnector.

FIGS. 8C and 8D are a perspective view and a top view, respectively,illustrating how the pin contacts of the inline connector of FIG. 8B maybe used to electrically connect the socket contacts of two patch cordsaccording to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a cable-gripping member according tofurther embodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 10A-10D are schematic plan views that illustrate protrusionpatterns that may be used on the cable-gripping members according tofurther embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram that illustrates how the patch cordsaccording to embodiments of the present invention may have acable-gripping member that includes teeth or other protrusions that maycreate depressions within the cable jacket and how the teeth may lockinto those depressions to resist rotational forces on the cable of thepatch cord.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Ethernet communications channels that connect a first electronic deviceto a second electronic device often includes more than one cablesegment. Inline connectors such as, for example, communications jacks,are used to connect a first cable segment to a second cable segment toform the end-to-end communications channel between the two electronicdevices. In many cases, one or both ends of each cable segment will beterminated with a connector such as a communications plug that may bereleasably mated with the inline connector. Herein, a cable segment thatincludes a communications connector such as, for example, a plug on atleast one end thereof is referred to as a “patch cord.” Most typically,a patch cord will have plug connectors on one or both ends thereof, butit will be appreciated that other types of connectors (e.g., jackconnectors or non-plug-jack connectors) may be used.

An Ethernet patch cord plug typically has eight output terminals in theform of plug blades that are electrically connected to the respectiveconductors of the cable segment. This plug may be inserted into a matingjack so that the plug blades electrically connect to respective inputterminals of the jack, which are often implemented as eight jackwirecontacts. The jack may be mounted on an electronic device or may beelectrically connected to another communications cable segment that istypically terminated into wire connection terminals provided in the backportion of the jack. The plug and jack can be readily connected anddisconnected from each other in order to facilitate future connectivitychanges.

A potential problem with conventional Ethernet patch cords is thatforces may be applied to the cable segment of the patch cord that maycause the cable (or some of the conductors therein) to pull away fromthe plug blades or to even pull out of the plug. These forces may arise,for example, because individuals accidentally pull on the cable orbecause excessive forces are applied to the cable when the plug isremoved from a mating jack. Such forces can degrade the performance ofthe patch cord, or render it unusable, as the connections between theconductors of the cable segment and the plug blades (or other terminals)may be loosened or disconnected as a result of the pulling forces on thecable. Axial pulling forces are of particular concern (i.e., a generally“straight pull” along the longitudinal direction of the plug), but “sidepulls” may also cause problems where the pulling force is at an angle tothe longitudinal axis of the plug. In order to reduce the impact of suchpulling forces, prior art patch cords include strain relief mechanisms.For example, one prior art strain relief mechanism uses an anchoringmember that is disposed in the plug housing, and another part of thehousing pressures the cable against the anchoring member in order tosecurely lock the cable in place. Another known type of strain reliefmechanism is a compression ring that fits around the cable that isforcibly inserted within a tapered portion of a bore through the plughousing so that the ring gradually compresses around and tightly gripsthe cable. The compression ring may include one or more latchingprojections that mate with latch openings in the plug housing at a pointwhere the ring is near maximum compression to lock the compression ringin place. Thus, the compression ring, gripping the cable, is held withinthe bore of the plug, and resists pulling stresses that may be appliedto the cable.

So-called “reduced-pair Ethernet” cables and connectors are now underdevelopment that include less than four differential pairs ofconductors. Of particular interest are single-pair cables that include asingle twisted pair of insulated conductors in a jacket (with noseparator since only a single-pair is used) and single-pair patch cordsthat are connectorized versions of such cables. Single-pair patch cordsmay be joined to a mating single-pair connector or may be joined to amulti-pair connector that is designed to connect a plurality ofsingle-pair patch cords to corresponding cables or patch cords. Two-pairand three-pair reduced-pair Ethernet cables, patch cords and connectorsare also under consideration.

In reduced-pair Ethernet applications, the patch cords may beimplemented, for example, using plug connectors, jack connectors or aplug connector on one end and a jack connector on the other end. In thediscussion that follows, the patch cords will be described as havingplug connectors, and the patch cords are mated with inline jackconnectors (e.g., a connector that has two jacks arranged back-to-back)that may be used to electrically connect a first patch cord to a secondpatch cord. However, it will be appreciated that in other embodiments ofthe present invention patch cords that include jack connectors may beused instead, and it will also be appreciated that jacks other thaninline jacks may be used such as, for example, jacks that electricallyconnect a patch cord to a printed circuit board.

In order to reduce the effects of crosstalk, the conductors of thetwisted pairs of an Ethernet patch cord cable may be kept twisted rightup to the point where the conductors are terminated into matingstructures in the plug (e.g., insulation piercing contacts that may beincluded at the back of each plug blade or on a printed circuit board ormetal-plated apertures on a printed circuit board). The same is truewith respect to reduced-pair Ethernet patch cords, in order to reducecrosstalk between the twisted pairs within a single cable (inapplications having at least two pairs per cable) and/or to reduce“alien” crosstalk that may arise between adjacent reduced-pair Ethernetcables and connectors. Additionally, in both standard and reduced-pairEthernet applications, the patch cords and connectors may be designed tocancel out any crosstalk that is expected to arise in the connectors inorder to keep crosstalk at a minimum. As a result, any variation from adesign goal regarding the amount (if any) that a twisted pair of a patchcord is untwisted proximate its termination point within a connector canresult in increased crosstalk (e.g., with another twisted pair in thecable or with a twisted pair in an adjacent cable) that can degrade thedata transmission performance of the patch cord.

Unfortunately, if a single-pair Ethernet patch cord is twisted (i.e.,the cable is rotated about its longitudinal axis with respect to theplug connector), the twisted pair contained within the cable may beeither partially untwisted or over-twisted, depending upon the directionof rotation. In particular, when a rotational force (torque) is appliedto the twisted pair that is opposite the direction of the originaltwist, the twist for a portion of the twisted pair may tend to loosen.This may degrade the crosstalk and/or return loss characteristics of thepatch cord. Similarly, when a rotational force is applied to the twistedpair that is in the same direction as the original twist, a portion ofthe twisted pair may become over-twisted. This may also degrade thecrosstalk and/or return loss characteristics of the patch cord. It isalso possible for twisted pair cable to be compressed axially inside theconnector during assembly of the connector. This compression may occur,for example, when the strain relief member is inserted into the rear ofthe connector and is pressed into the connector body to latch in place.This action may compress the cable inside the connector housing betweenthe stain relief member and fixed terminals and can cause the conductorsof the twisted pair to be forced apart forming “open loops” in thecommunications cable. These open loops may degrade the crosstalk and/orreturn loss characteristics of the patch cord.

Pursuant to embodiments of the present invention, patch cords areprovided that have connectors with strain relief units that may resistrotation of a cable of the patch cord relative to the connectors thereofin response to a rotational force. The strain relief units may alsoprotect against axial loads or side loads that are applied to the cablethereof. The strain relief units used in the patch cords according toembodiments of the present invention may facilitate providing patchcords with better and more consistent data transmission performance.

In some embodiments, the patch cords may comprise single-pair patchcords that include a cable having a single twisted pair of insulatedconductors that is surrounded by a protective jacket. In otherembodiments, the patch cord cables may include more than a single-pairof twisted conductors, such as two pairs of twisted conductors. Thepatch cords may also be implemented with cables in which more than twoinsulated conductors are twisted together, such as in patch cordsimplemented with so-called “twisted-quad” shielded cables that have fourinsulated conductors that are twisted together.

In some embodiments, the strain relief unit may comprise a two-pieceunit that is mounted in a rear portion of the connector housing. Suchstrain relief units may include a cable-gripping member that isconfigured to engage an exterior surface of the cable of the patch cordand a compression member which is configured to compress thecable-gripping member against the cable. In some embodiments, the cablegripping member may comprise a collar that is mounted on the cable andthe compression member may comprise a cap that both closes off the backportion of the connector housing and imparts a compressive force on thecollar so that the collar securely locks the cable within the housingand resists axial, side-pull and rotational forces or loads. Thecable-gripping member may include a plurality of teeth or otherprojections on an interior surface thereof that “bite” into the exteriorsurface of the cable and hence resist rotation of the cable of the patchcord relative to the connector. At least some of these teeth or otherprojections may be generally aligned along a longitudinal directional ofthe connector to better resist against twisting of the cable relative tothe connector.

In some embodiments, the strain relief unit may only include acable-gripping member, and features on the connector housing may be usedto compress the cable-gripping member against the cable.

The patch cords, connectors and strain relief units according toembodiments of the present invention may be used in various applicationssuch as automotive, industrial and other applications which may compriseharsher environments that are not well-suited to traditional Ethernetcables and connectors. In some embodiments, the patch cords may beterminated with pin connectors or socket connectors. The twisted pair(s)in the cable of the patch cord may maintain their twist right up to thepoint at which the conductors of the cable terminate into theappropriate termination in the connector (e.g., into a respectivesockets of the connector or into a printed circuit board of theconnector).

Certain embodiments of the present invention will now be described withreference to the drawings, in which example implementations of thepresent invention are depicted.

Referring to FIG. 1, two reduced-pair Ethernet cables are shown, namelya first cable 10 and a second cable 20. The first cable 10 includesfirst and second conductors 12, 14 that are twisted together to form asingle twisted pair 16. The conductors 12, 14 are enclosed by aprotective jacket 18. The second cable 20 includes first through fourthconductors 22, 24, 26, 28. Conductors 22 and 24 are twisted together toform a first twisted pair 30, and conductors 26 and 28 are twistedtogether to form a second twisted pair 32. The twisted pairs 30 and 32are separated by a separator 34, and are encased in a protective jacket36.

FIGS. 2-8 illustrate a patch cord 100 according to embodiments of thepresent invention that includes a cable 110 and a connector 120 on atleast one end thereof. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an endportion of the patch cord 100. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the cable110 with a strain relief unit 160 of the connector 120 mounted thereon.FIG. 4 is a partially cut-away side view of the connector 120 with thecontact carrier thereof omitted. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of theconnector housing and strain relief unit of the patch cord 100. FIG. 6is a cross-sectional view of the connector 120 that illustrates thecontact carrier and one of the contacts thereof. FIG. 7 is an enlargedperspective view of a cable-gripping member of the strain relief unit ofthe connector 120. FIGS. 8A-8D illustrate the contacts of the connector120 and show how they may mate with the contacts of a mating inlineconnector to electrically connect a first patch cord 100 to a secondpatch cord 100.

Referring to FIG. 2, the patch cord 100 comprises a cable 110 and aconnector 120. The cable 110 may be identical to the cable 10 discussedabove with reference to FIG. 1, and may include first and secondconductors 12, 14 that are twisted together to form a twisted pair 16,and a protective jacket 18. In FIGS. 2-6, only the cable jacket 18 ofcable 110 is illustrated to simplify the drawings.

The connector 120 includes a connector housing 130, a contact carrier140 (see FIG. 6) that includes a pair of contacts 142, 144 (FIGS. 6 and8A-8D) and a strain relief unit 160. The housing 130 has a front end132, a rear end 134 and side surfaces 136. A bore 138 extendslongitudinally through the housing 130. A rear portion of the bore 138comprises a cable-receiving cavity 139 (see FIGS. 5-6). Windows 137 areprovided in the respective side surfaces 136. The cable 110 is receivedthrough an opening in the rear end 134 of housing 130 and extends intothe cable-receiving cavity 139 of the bore 138. As shown in FIG. 6, thecontact carrier 140 resides in a front portion of the bore 138. Thejacket 18 of cable 110 may extend into the bore 138 up to the rear endof the contact carrier 140. The insulated conductors 12, 14 of cable 110(see FIG. 1) may extend farther forwardly than the jacket 18 in order tomake mechanical and electrical connections to their respective contacts142, 144. The insulation may be removed from the end of insulatedconductors 12, 14, and the exposed conductors thereof may be insertedwithin (or otherwise mated to) the respective contacts 142, 144. Thehousing 130 may comprise a dielectric housing, and may include variousfeatures that allow the connector 120 to be releasably joined to amating connector (not shown). In the embodiment of FIGS. 2-8, theconnector 120 comprises a plug that is configured to be received withinthe plug aperture of a mating jack.

Referring to FIGS. 2-3 and 7, the strain relief unit 160 comprises atwo-piece unit that includes a cable-gripping member 170 and acompression member 180. Both pieces 170, 180 may be made of, forexample, a flexible material such as a plastic material (e.g.,polycarbonate). In some embodiments, the cable-gripping member 170 maycomprise a generally cylindrical member that has a generally circularbore extending therethrough that may be dimensioned to receive the cable110. In some embodiments, the cable-gripping member 170 may extend afull 360 degrees around the circumference of the cable 110, while inother embodiments, the cable-gripping member 170 may extend less than360 degrees around the circumference of the cable 110 as would be thecase, for example, with a generally C-shaped cable-gripping member 170(see FIG. 9). The cable-gripping member 170 may be designed to engagethe jacket 18 of cable 110 and to resist rotation of the cable 110 withrespect to the connector housing 130 of patch cord 100.

In the exemplary embodiment depicted in FIGS. 2-7, the cable-grippingmember 170 has an annular base 172 and four generally wedge-shapedcantilevered arms 174 that extend forwardly from the annular base 172.Gaps 176 are provided between adjacent ones of the cantilevered arms174. In the depicted embodiment, each cantilevered arm 174 has agenerally arcuate interior surface that is designed to generally mimicthe contour of the exterior surface of the jacket 18 of cable 110.Moreover, a plurality of protrusions 178 (see FIG. 7) extend from theinterior surface of each cantilevered arm 174 in the form oflongitudinally extending teeth 178. Each cantilevered arm 174 tapersfrom its distal end toward the base 172 so that a circle defined by thedistal ends of the four cantilevered arms 174 may have a diameter thatis greater than the diameter of the annular base 172. Because the arms174 are both cantilevered and formed of a flexible material, they may bepressed inwardly if subjected to a radially compressive force. In thedepicted embodiment, the cable-gripping member 170 comprises a collarthat may be inserted over an end portion of the cable 110, as is bestshown in FIG. 3. Thus, member 170 is referred to herein as both a“collar” and as a “cable-gripping member.” As discussed below, in otherembodiments, the collar may not act as a cable-gripping member. As shownin FIGS. 4-6, the collar 170 ultimately is received within thecable-receiving cavity 139 when the patch cord 100 is fully assembled.

As shown in FIGS. 2-3, the compression member 180 has a base 182 thathas a flat rear surface. Four compression wedges 184 and twocantilevered latches 186 extend forwardly from the base 182. As shown inthe figures, the compression member 180 is mounted on the cable 110rearwardly of the cable-gripping member 170. The forwardly-extendingcompression wedges 184 are radially disposed about the base 182, andeach compression wedge 184 may be longitudinally aligned with arespective one of the cantilevered arms 174 of the cable-gripping member170. The compression wedges 184 may define a cylinder having a diameterthat is greater than the diameter of the base 172 of the cable-grippingmember 170. Each latch 186 has a tab 188 at its distal end that slopesoutwardly from the distal end of the latch 176. The rear surface of eachtab 188 forms a stop 190. The latches 186 are spaced apart in thetransverse dimension a distance that is slightly greater than the widthof the rear opening into the housing 130. In the depicted embodiment,the compression member 180 comprises a rear cap for the housing 130 thatallows the cable 110 access into the bore 138 of the housing 130 whilecovering the remainder of the opening into the rear end 134 of thehousing 130. Thus, member 180 is referred to herein as both a “cap” andas a “compression member.” As discussed below, in other embodiments, thecap may not act as a compression member.

The strain relief unit 160 may operate as follows. The cap 180 and thecollar 170 may be slid over the end of the cable 110 as is shown in FIG.2, with the bases 172, 182 being slid onto the cable 110 first so thatthe compression wedges 184 and the cantilevered arms 174 point forwardlytoward the end of the cable 110. The conductors 12, 14 of cable 110 maybe terminated into a pair of contacts 142, 144 of the connector 120 (thecontacts are shown in FIGS. 8A-8D, discussed infra). The contacts 142,144 may be mounted in the contact carrier 140 when the conductors 12, 14are terminated into the contacts 142, 144, or the contacts 142, 144 maybe terminated onto their respective conductors 12, 14 and then installedinto the contact carrier 140. In some embodiments, the conductors 12, 14may remain twisted together essentially all the way up to the pointwhere the conductors 12, 14 terminate into their respective contacts142, 144. Depending on the contact design, it may or may not benecessary to strip the insulation off of the end portion of eachconductor 12, 14 prior to terminating the conductors 12, 14 onto thecontacts 142, 144.

Next, the contact carrier 140 is inserted into the connector housing 130via the rear opening into bore 138. At this time, the collar 170 and thecap 180 may still be positioned some distance down the cable 110 fromthe connector housing 130, as is shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIGS. 5-6,the rear portion of bore 138 comprises a cable-receiving cavity 139. Therear portion of cable-receiving cavity 139 has sloped walls 135 (e.g., afrusto-conical opening) that reduce the cross-sectional size of thecable-receiving cavity 139 so that the rear opening into thecable-receiving cavity 139 has a greater cross-sectional area than themiddle and forward portions of the cable receiving cavity 139. As isreadily apparent from FIGS. 5-6, the enlarged rear opening provided bythe outward taper of walls 135 allows the collar 170 to be slid intoposition inside the connector housing 130 such that one or more stopfeatures 173 that protrude from the base 172 of collar 170 (in thedepicted embodiment the stop features 173 comprise a pair of rectangularprotrusions that extend from the top and bottom of the annular base 172that can be seen in FIG. 7) engage mating features 175 inside thecable-receiving cavity 139 (in the depicted embodiment the matingfeatures 175 comprise recesses in the top and bottom of thecable-receiving cavity 139), thereby preventing the collar 170 fromrotating inside the connector housing 130. The cap 180 can then be slidinto position, and the compression wedges 184 and latches 186 of cap 180may readily slide into the cable receiving cavity 139. However, as thecap 180 is slid farther forwardly, the decreasing cross-sectional areaof the cable-receiving cavity 139 forces the cantilevered arms 174,latches 186 and compression wedges 184 radially inwardly. As shown inFIGS. 4-6, the compression wedges 184 overlap the cantilevered arms 174,and thus both the decreasing cross-sectional area of the cable-receivingcavity 139 and the compression wedges 184 act to force the cantileveredarms 174 radially inwardly, which can increase the radial force on thecantilevered arms 174. As a result, the teeth 178 on the interiorsurfaces of the respective cantilevered arms 174 may be firmly forcedagainst the jacket 18 of cable 110. The jacket 18 may be made of arelatively soft plastic material such as polyvinyl chloride (“PVC”). Asshown in FIG. 11, the teeth 178 may create depressions 112 in the jacket18 and the teeth 178 may lock into place within those depressions 112.

Once the collar 170 and the cap 180 are fully received within theplug-receiving cavity 139, the tabs 188 may reach their respectivewindows 137 in the housing 130, thereby releasing the radially inwardforce on the latches 186 which allows the tabs 188 to extend throughtheir respective windows 137. The stops 190 on the tabs 188 lock thelatches 186 in place, thereby firmly locking the cap 180 and collar 170within the plug-receiving cavity 139. While cantilevered latches 186having tabs 188 with stops 190 and mating windows 137 in the housing 130are used to lock the strain relief unit 160 in place within theconnector housing 130 in the depicted embodiment, it will be appreciatedthat a wide variety of other means may be used to secure the strainrelief unit 160 within the housing 130.

Once in place, the strain relief unit 160 may resist a variety of loads.For example, if a pulling force such as a straight pull (e.g., a forceapplied in the longitudinal direction away from the connector 120) or aside pull (e.g., a force applied at an angle to the longitudinaldirection such as a 45 degree angle in a direction away from theconnector 120) is applied to the cable 110, then the radial compressionforce applied by the collar 170 against the cable jacket 18 will act toreduce or prevent any tendency for this force to pull the cable 110 outof the connector 120 and/or to pull the conductors 12, 14 of cable 110out of their terminations to their respective contacts 142, 144. Thus,the strain relief unit 160 may provide conventional strain reliefproperties. Additionally, the position of the cap 180 is fixed withrespect to the connector housing 130, and the position of the collar 170is fixed with respect to the connector housing 130. Moreover, thelongitudinally-extending teeth 178 that are lodged within depressions112 in the cable jacket 18 (see FIG. 11) resist rotation of the cable110 with respect to the collar 170. Consequently, even if a twisting orrotational force is applied to the cable 110 (in either direction), thecable 110 will resist rotating with respect to the connector 120. Thus,the strain relief unit 160 may help reduce the likelihood that arotational force applied to the cable 110 may negatively impact thetwist of the twisted pair 16 by either loosening or over-tightening thetwist. Longitudinally-extending teeth 178 or protrusions may beparticularly effective in resisting against rotational forces that areapplied to the cable 110.

FIGS. 8A and 8B schematically illustrate the contacts 142, 144 of theconnector 120. In particular, FIG. 8A is a perspective view of the twocontacts 142, 144, while FIG. 8B is a perspective view of the twocontacts 142, 144 that illustrates how they mate with the contactstructures 210, 220 of a mating inline jack connector 200. FIGS. 8C and8D are a perspective view and top view, respectively, that show how thecontacts 142, 144 of two different connectors 120 may be electricallyconnected via the contacts of an inline jack connector 200. Note thatonly the contacts 210, 220 of inline connector 200 (and not theremainder of the connector 200) are shown in order to simplify thedrawings.

As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the contacts 142, 144 are implemented assocket contacts and include a tip contact 142 and a ring contact 144.Each contact 142, 144 comprises a hollow cylinder having a rear end 146and a front end 148. The internal diameter of the rear end 146 of eachcontact 142, 144 may be sized to receive a respective one of theinsulated conductors (with the insulation removed) with an interferencefit that provides a good mechanical and electrical connection. In otherembodiments, the conductors 12, 14 may be soldered into the rear ends146 of their respective contacts 142, 144, or the socket contacts 142,144 may be crimped onto a bare end portion of their respectiveconductors 12, 14. The front end 148 of each contact 142, 144 may besized to receive the pin contacts of a mating connector, and may includeone or more longitudinal slits 150.

As shown in FIG. 8B, the contacts 210, 220 of the inline jack connector200 comprise a pair of double-sided crossover tip and ring pin contacts210, 220. The tip contact 200 includes a first pin 212, a second pin 214and a crossover segment 216 that connects the first pin 212 to thesecond pin 224. The ring contact 220 includes a first pin 222, a secondpin 224 and crossover segment 226 that connects the first pin 220 to thesecond pin 224.

As shown in FIGS. 8C and 8D, the tip pin 212 on a first side of theinline connector 200 is received within the tip socket 142 of a firstconnector 120-1, and the ring pin 214 on the first side of the inlineconnector 200 is received within the ring socket 144 of the firstconnector 120-1. Likewise, the tip pin 222 on a second side of theinline connector 200 is received within the tip socket 142 of a secondconnector 120-2, and the ring pin 224 on the second side of the inlineconnector 200 is received within the ring socket 144 of the secondconnector 120-2.

Pin contacts 212 and 214 may each reside in a firsthorizontally-oriented plane, and pin contacts 222 and 224 may eachreside in a second horizontally-oriented plane that is beneath the firsthorizontally-oriented plane and parallel thereto. Pin contacts 212 and214 are each tip pin contacts that form a tip conductive path throughthe inline connector 200. Pin contacts 222 and 224 are each ring pincontacts that form a ring conductive path through the inline connector200. Thus, the inline connector 200 may be used to electrically connecttip socket contact 142 of a first connector 120-1 to the tip socketcontact 142 of a second connector 120-2, and to electrically connect thering socket contact 144 of connector 120-1 to the ring socket contact144 of connector 120-2. By staggering the tip and ring pin contacts intwo vertical rows and by providing the crossover in the middle of theinline connector 200, the inline connector 200 may exhibit reduceddifferential and common mode crosstalk between adjacent inlineconnectors when a plurality of inline connectors are arrangedside-by-side in a row.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a cable-gripping member 270 according tofurther embodiments of the present invention. The cable-gripping member270 may be used, for example, in place of the cable-gripping member 170that is discussed above with reference to FIGS. 2-7. As shown in FIG. 9,the cable-gripping member 270 comprises an annular ring 272 that has aportion of its circumference omitted to form a generally C-shaped ringhaving an opening 280. The interior surface of the C-shaped ring 272includes a plurality of protrusions 278. In the depicted embodiment, theprotrusions 278 comprise generally longitudinally extending teeth.However, it will be appreciated that any appropriate protrusions may beused that resist twisting forces that are applied to the cable of thepatch cord in which cable-gripping member 270 is used. The exteriorsurface of the ring 272 may include a stop feature 273 that resistsrotation of the ring 272 with respect to, for example, the connectorhousing.

The cable-gripping member 270 of FIG. 9 may be placed on the cable of apatch cord, and may be slid into the housing of the connector of thepatch cord once the conductors of the cable are terminated into thecontacts of the connector. The cable-gripping member 270 may becompressed tightly onto the cable so that the protrusions 278 makedepressions in the cable jacket and resist rotational forces based onboth the compression force and the protrusions that are lodged in thedepressions in the cable jacket. The cable-gripping member 270 may becompressed onto the cable using a compression member such as the cap 180of the embodiment of FIGS. 2-7 (modified appropriately to cooperate withthe cable-gripping member 270). Alternatively, the cable-gripping member270 may be compressed by features within the housing that compress thecable-gripping member 270 as the cable-gripping member is inserted intothe connector housing. In either case, as the cable-gripping member 270is compressed, the opposed ends 274, 276 of the C-shaped ring 272 thatdefine the opening 280 of the “C” are pressed together. Thus, theopening in the “C” allows the cable-gripping member 270 to evenlycompress around the cable. As shown, in some embodiments, theprotrusions 278 may (optionally) only be provided on the interiorportions of the C-shaped ring 272 that are opposite the opening 280 toallow the ring to more evenly compress around the cable. The stopfeature 273 may mate with a mating feature (not shown) in the interiorof the connector housing to resist rotation of the cable-gripping member270 with respect to the connector housing.

While embodiments of the cable-gripping member that include cantileveredarms and a C-shaped ring are described above, it will be appreciatedthat other cable-gripping members may be used. Preferably, thecable-gripping member will apply a generally radial compression force onthe cable as opposed to only applying a force to, for example, one sideof the cable, in order to reduce or minimize the amount that the strainrelief unit deforms or changes the relative positions of the conductorswithin the cable as such changes may negatively impact the electricalperformance of the cable.

It will also be appreciated that a wide variety of uneven surfaces orprotrusions may be used in the cable-gripping members according toembodiments of the present invention. By way of example, FIGS. 10A-10Dare schematic plan views that illustrate additional example protrusionpatterns that may be used on the cable-gripping members according tofurther embodiments of the present invention.

For example, FIG. 10A illustrates a protrusion pattern 300 in which theteeth 178 included on the collar 170 of FIG. 7 are replaced with anarray (or other pattern) of small square protrusions 302. It will beappreciated that shapes other than squares may be used in furtherembodiments. FIG. 10B illustrates a protrusion pattern 310 in which therectangular teeth 178 included on the collar 170 of FIG. 7 are replacedwith triangular teeth 312. FIG. 10C illustrates a protrusion pattern 320in which the longitudinally-extending teeth included on the collar 170of FIG. 7 are replaced with teeth 322 that extend at various angles fromthe longitudinal direction. FIG. 10D illustrates a protrusion pattern330 in which the rectangular teeth included on the collar 170 of FIG. 7are replaced with V-shaped protrusions 332. It will also be appreciatedthat a variety of different types of protrusions may be included on thesame cable-gripping member.

In some embodiments, such as the embodiment of FIGS. 2-8, thecable-gripping member 170 may be in a fixed longitudinal position whenthe cable-gripping member 170 is compressed onto the cable 110. Forexample, as shown in FIGS. 5-6, a stop 133 is provided within thecable-receiving portion 139 of bore 138. The stop 133 prevents thecollar 170 from being moved any farther forwardly into the bore 138,thus fixing the longitudinal position of the collar 170 within thehousing 130 when the cap 180 is applied to compress the collar 170around the cable 110. If the cable gripping member 170 were to movelongitudinally during the compression process (as opposed to justsqueezing down on the cable 110), the longitudinal movement of the cablegripping member 170 could push the cable 110 further into the connector120, which could distort the arrangement of the twisted pair 16 anddegrade the electrical performance of the patch cord 100. Accordingly,in some embodiments, the connector 120 may include stops such as thestops 133 that fix the longitudinal position of the cable-grippingmember 170 during the installation of the strain relief unit 160.

In still further embodiments of the present invention, the cap 180 andcollar 170 of the embodiment of FIGS. 2-8 may be modified so that thecap 180 acts as the cable-gripping member and the collar acts as thecompression member. In such embodiments, the compression wedges 184 ofthe embodiment of FIGS. 2-8 may be redesigned to define a circle thathas a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the cable 110, andteeth or other protrusions may be provided on the interior surfaces ofthe wedges 184. The collar 170 may likewise be designed to fit over thewedges of the cap to compress the wedges of the cap against the cablewhen the cap is inserted into the rear of the connector housing 130. Insome embodiments, the collar could be replaced with interior features inthe connector housing that compress the wedges of the redesigned capagainst the cable.

In automotive and other vehicle applications, a hardwired cablingconnection between two devices such as a processor and a door-mountedcamera may need to extend through one or more connection hubs. The patchcords according to embodiments of the present invention may be used toprovide connections between these end devices and the connection hubs orbetween two connection hubs.

It will also be appreciated that aspects of the above embodiments may becombined in any way to provide numerous additional embodiments. Theseembodiments will not be described individually for the sake of brevity.

While the present invention has been described above primarily withreference to the accompanying drawings, it will be appreciated that theinvention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments; rather, theseembodiments are intended to fully and completely disclose the inventionto those skilled in this art. In the drawings, like numbers refer tolike elements throughout. Thicknesses and dimensions of some componentsmay be exaggerated for clarity.

It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. maybe used herein to describe various elements, these elements should notbe limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish oneelement from another. For example, a first element could be termed asecond element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a firstelement, without departing from the scope of the present invention. Itwill also be understood that the terms “tip” and “ring” are used torefer to the two conductors of a differential pair and otherwise are notlimiting.

Spatially relative terms, such as “under”, “below”, “lower”, “over”,“upper”, “top”, “bottom” and the like, may be used herein for ease ofdescription to describe one element or feature's relationship to anotherelement(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will beunderstood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompassdifferent orientations of the device in use or operation in addition tothe orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device inthe figures is turned over, elements described as “under” or “beneath”other elements or features would then be oriented “over” the otherelements or features. Thus, the exemplary term “under” can encompassboth an orientation of over and under. The device may be otherwiseoriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatiallyrelative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

Well-known functions or constructions may not be described in detail forbrevity and/or clarity. As used herein the expression “and/or” includesany and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. Asused herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended toinclude the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises”,“comprising”, “includes” and/or “including” when used in thisspecification, specify the presence of stated features, operations,elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence oraddition of one or more other features, operations, elements,components, and/or groups thereof.

Herein, the terms “attached”, “connected”, “interconnected”,“contacting”, “mounted” and the like can mean either direct or indirectattachment or contact between elements, unless stated otherwise.

Although exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described,those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modificationsare possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departingfrom the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly,all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope ofthis invention as defined in the claims. The invention is defined by thefollowing claims, with equivalents of the claims to be included therein.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A reduced-pair Ethernet patch cord,comprising: a twisted pair cable that includes a pair of insulatedconductors that are contained within a cable jacket; a connector mountedon a first end of the cable, the connector including: a connectorhousing; and a strain relief unit mounted on the cable at the interfacebetween the cable and the connector housing, the strain relief unitincluding a collar that surrounds the cable, a stop feature extendingradially outward from the collar, and a plurality of compressible armsthat extend longitudinally forward form the collar, wherein the stopfeature engages a mating feature of the connector housing when thestrain relief unit is inserted within the connector housing, theengagement of the stop feature and the mating feature preventing thecollar from rotating inside the connector housing.
 2. The reduced-pairEthernet patch cord of claim 1, wherein at least one of the compressiblearms includes a plurality of internal protrusions that contact the cablejacket and wherein the internal protrusions are generally longitudinallyaligned with a longitudinal axis of the connector.
 3. The reduced-pairEthernet patch cord of claim 1, wherein the strain relief unit comprisesa cable-gripping member, which includes the collar, the plurality ofarms and the stop feature, that engages the cable and a compressionmember that is configured to apply a radially compressive force on thecable-gripping member, wherein the compression member is fixed relativeto the connector housing.
 4. The reduced-pair Ethernet patch cord ofclaim 2, wherein the protrusions comprise teeth that are provided on aninterior surface of the cable-gripping member.
 5. The reduced-pairEthernet patch cord of claim 2, wherein the protrusions are configuredto create respective depressions in the cable jacket.
 6. Thereduced-pair Ethernet patch cord of claim 1, wherein the twisted paircable includes only a single pair of insulated conductors.
 7. Thereduced-pair Ethernet patch cord of claim 2, wherein the internalprotrusions contact the cable jacket to resist against rotational forcesapplied to the cable.
 8. A patch cord, comprising: a cable that includesa cable jacket that has at least one twisted pair of insulatedconductors disposed therein; a connector that has a housing mounted on afirst end of the cable, the connector including a strain relief unitpositioned at least partly within the housing, the strain relief unitincluding: a cable-gripping member that is mounted on the cable, thecable-gripping member including a collar that surrounds the cable, astop feature extending radially outward from the collar, and a pluralityof cantilevered arms that extend forward from the collar, wherein thestop feature engages a mating feature of the housing of the connectorwhen the cable-gripping member is inserted within the housing, theengagement of the stop feature and the mating feature preventingcable-gripping member from rotating inside the housing; a compressionmember that is configured to apply a compressive force against thecable-gripping member when the compression member and cable-grippingmember are installed within the connector.
 9. The patch cord of claim 8,wherein the compression member is configured to apply a radial force tothe cable-gripping member.
 10. The patch cord of claim 8, wherein atleast one of the plurality of cantilevered arms includes an unevensurface that is positioned to contact the cable jacket and wherein theuneven surface is configured to create a plurality of depressions in thecable jacket.
 11. The patch cord of claim 8, wherein the compressionmember comprises a cap that is mounted on a rear end of the housing. 12.The patch cord of claim 8, wherein an interior surface of each of thecantilevered arms comprises an arcuate surface.
 13. The patch cord ofclaim 10, wherein the uneven surface comprises a plurality of teeth. 14.The patch cord of claim 8, wherein the compression member includes aplurality of wedge shaped arms that are configured to apply a radiallycompressive force on respective ones of the cantilevered arms when thecompression member and the cable-gripping member are installed withinthe housing.
 15. The strain relief unit of claim 8, wherein the patchcord includes at least one and no more than three twisted pairs ofconductors.
 16. A method of connectorizing a cable, the methodcomprising: terminating a first conductor of a twisted pair ofconductors of a communications cable into a first contact; terminating asecond conductor of a twisted pair of conductors of a communicationscable into a second contact; inserting end portions of the terminatedfirst and second conductors and the first and second contacts into aconnector housing; sliding a strain relief unit along the communicationscable and into a rear opening of the connector housing; and compressinga cable-gripping member of the strain relief unit onto thecommunications cable, wherein the cable-gripping member has at least onestop feature that is positioned to engage a mating feature of theconnector housing when the strain relief unit is installed in theconnector housing, wherein engagement of the stop feature and the matingfeature prevents rotation of the strain relief unit within the connectorhousing.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the cable-gripping memberis at a fixed longitudinal position within the connector when itcompresses onto the communications cable.
 18. The method of claim 16,wherein compressing the cable-gripping member of the strain relief unitonto the communications cable comprises sliding a compression member ofthe strain relief unit onto the cable-gripping member.